Carpentry – Mina Wendt

Centenary College of Louisiana

Shreveport, LA

Little Women adapted by Kate Hamill

Role and Methodology

I was the associate scenic designer and head carpenter for this production. The four hexagonal platforms were made of stock 4×8 platforms that we built triangular wings for. Two of the platforms are on wheels and spin and move up and down stage. The parquet flooring on the platforms was made from individual luan tiles stapled to a sacrificial sheet of masonite to save time during strike, and the floor and background framing were stained instead of painted. I designed and drafted in AutoCAD the background house framing.

Metamorphoses adapted by Mary Zimmerman

*Metamorphoses* by Mary Zimmerman | Scenic Design: Alan Berry | 2024

Role and Methodology

I was the head carpenter for this production of Metamorphoses. The set consisted of a large pool of water enclosed by four 2×4 stud walls which I built, faced with OSB and covered with sound board, packing blankets, and pool liner. The pool had two levels, one shallow side at ~6″ and a deeper side at ~18″. The boardwalk is made with individual fence boards, with a trapdoor built into the furthest upstage walkway. The back three levels are individual platforms. The columns are 16′ tall tubes of muslin with 3/4″ plywood circles on either end for rigging and for mounting LED lighting instruments to. There are also lights mounted underneath the boardwalks.

Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy adapted by Kate Hamill

Role and Methodology

This set was constructed as a 3/4 thrust with a 2′ x 20′ platform at the back of the stage which was 8′ tall. I assisted in the construction of the platform, the backdrop, which was made of steel and plywood, and I also retrofitted the spiral staircase on the right with two additional steps at the top, fabricated out of 16 gauge steel.

Mac Beth Adapted by Erica Schmidt

Role and Methodology

This set was built in proscenium on a rake and was a large, roughly 22′ x 22′ platform with a large wall at the back of the set with two doorways. I helped with the construction of the platform, the wall, and the rain and gutter systems. The raked platform was built out of 4′ x 8′ stock platforms covered with layers of Visqueen, sound board, and then the whole platform was covered with muslin. This show necessitated the construction of a rain rig, which I helped make with PVC pipes and sprinkler heads. We also built a gutter system at the front edge of the stage that ran into a barrel under the stage in the orchestra pit. The back wall was constructed with hard cover flats which we then covered over with 3″ thick foam and deteriorated with acetone to emulate eroded concrete.

Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

Role and Methodology

This set was built in 3/4 thrust, entirely framed out of 2×4, with the exception of the mantle in the center and the cross piece at the top of the roofline, which were both made of 2×6. I helped build all of the framing and did repairs on stock furniture.

The Alley Theatre

Houston, TX

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Role and Methodology

I participated in this production during my time as the Alley Theatre’s scenery department intern. The Alley’s scene shop is 14 stories above their spaces, so every set must be broken up into pieces that can fit into a freight elevator and be put together in-space. I built several of the frames for the walls of this set, and assisted with others, as well as participating in the load-in and installation process. During the run of the show, I assisted with touch-up notes and finishing details.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Parquet floor tiles, cut and sanded

Role and Methodology

Processed and individually sanded 16 sheets of birch plywood into roughly 1600 parquet floor tiles for an upcoming production of The Glass Menagerie.